Wednesday, July 23, 2014

End Of The Campaign

A part of
Confederate General Robert E Lee’s retreat back into Virginia following the
Battle of Gettysburg, the Battle of Manassas Gap, or the Battle of Wapping
Heights was fought July 23rd 1863 in Warren County, Virginia.

After the
Battle of Gettysburg, the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia retreated to
and crossed the Potomac River at Williamsport, Maryland. With the Union Army of
the Potomac in pursuit, Union Major General George G Meade made a flanking move
into the Loudoun Valley and the Confederates rear. Meade ordered the Union III Corps commanded
by Major General William H French to cut off the Confederate columns retreat at
Front Royal, Virginia by forcing a passage through the Manassas Gap.

At dawn on
July 23rd 1863 French ordered an attack against the troops of
Confederate Brigadier General Ambrose R Wright’s Georgians, who were defending
the Gap. With Union Brigadier General Francis B Spinola using his larger
numbers the commander of the Excelsior Brigade pushed Wright’s men back through
the Gap by the late afternoon. Wright was reinforced by Confederate Major
General Robert E Rodes’ division.

As darkness
fell the Union attack stalled out. During the night the Confederate troops
withdrew into the Luray Valley. The
Union army occupied Front Royal, Virginia the next morning, but the Confederate
army had moved beyond pursuit. This was the last action in the Gettysburg
Campaign.

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